A Happy Ending?
by LMG10
Summary: Nick and Sara find a spark between them but will there be a happy ending? Changed rating to T for some violence in Ch.5
1. Chapter 1

It was a hot day in Las Vegas. The kind of day where people wilt like flowers in the afternoon, the kind of day where you sweat from walking to your mailbox, the kind of day where air conditioning is essential. Luckily for Sara Sidle she got to sleep through most of the heat, seeing as she worked nights. When she woke up her stomach growled but a shower was also vital so she headed for the bathroom instead of the kitchen. Over the next hour Sara got ready for work in her usual manner.

At six, she turned on the TV to see what news she had missed while she was sleeping. Apparently not much because most channels were reporting on the local dog show and the record breaking heat. _"Thank goodness for A/C."_ thought Sara. She clicked off the television and decided to tidy her apartment before heading to work.

By the time Sara arrived at work the heat had subsided to a mere eighty degrees but she still felt overheated in her long-sleeved shirt. Sara headed for the locker room. When she entered, she found a very wet, very shirtless Nick Stokes looking through his locker. "Oh…uh…sorry." Nick looked up, very surprised.

"Sorry Sara," said a blushing Nick," come in. I can't find my shirt."

"Nick your shirt is on the bench." Nick looked to where Sara was pointing and picked up his shirt.

"It's the heat."

"Is it getting to you too?"

"Yeah, I spent two hours trying to fix my A/C before calling AAA." Nick took this pause to put on his shirt, covering up his very nice six pack. Sara was a littler disappointed and silently scolded herself for helping Nick with his search. Just then Greg appeared in the door way.

"Nice to see you Sara," said Greg with a devilish grin," Grissom needs everyone stat." He left and Nick followed. _"I guess I'll have to change later." _

The trio joined the rest of the team in the break room to get their assignments from Grissom as usual. He started right in, "Nick, Sara you have a double in Henderson. Take Greg with you. Cath, you've got a B and E on the strip. Warrick, you're with me on a suspected homicide at UNLV." Everyone headed out towards the parking lot. Greg and Sara grabbed their kits and tossed them into the trunk of Nick's Denali.

"Can I drive?" asked Greg.

"No." said Nick and Sara in unison.

"Why not? I never get to drive," complained Greg.

"First, I've heard Warrick's horror stories of your driving skills, or lack there of," stated Nick.

"That was once!"

"And you're CSI level one, which makes us your superiors," added Sara. Greg slumped into the backseat as Nick high-fived Sara. Sara was glad that she and Nick were on the same team. It was something she enjoyed. Nick started the engine and Sara jumped in the passenger seat.

"Guys, it's too quiet, can we turn on some music?" inquired Greg.

Nick turned on the radio and, of course, country music filled the car. Greg muttered something about 'country crap' and 'Marilyn Manson'. Nick ignored him and began to sing along. Sara sat back in her seat laughing. Soon enough Greg quieted down and then it was just Nick singing.

Sara liked the sound of Nick's voice. It was steady and surprisingly in tune. He also knew all the words and his accent gave his singing authentic love of country music. Nick was so confident with his singing. The only time Sara sang was in the shower where no one could hear her. Sara liked Nick's confidence and recently, she had been liking more things about Nick.

Forty minutes later they arrived at the crime scene and Nick shut off the radio and stopped singing. Greg leaped out of the car mumbling again about 'hazing'. Nick heard him.

"Relax Greggo, you can choose the radio station for the ride back." The three grabbed their kits from the trunk and began to process the scene.

Sara took photos and lifted trace off victim one. She was a young girl, probably in her late teens, with shiny red hair and a pool of blood around her. Sara heard Nick interviewing a neighbor who a repeating his account of what had happened that night.

"It was getting late, I was about to go to bed when I hears some shouting from their house. I walked over to ask them to quiet down. When I got to the front door, I heard three gunshots. Bang. Bang. Bang. And then John, the husband and father, came running out of the house with someone else behind him. I didn't get a good look at the second person because I was pushed off the porch but I'm positive that the fist guy was John Wilcox."

"Thank you," replied Nick who looked up and saw Sara watching him. She panicked for something to say.

"Uh…did you get anything new info from the guy?" though she had already heard their conversation.

"The neighbor said that three gun shots were fired, then two people fled the house, one was the husband, Mr. Wilcox." Nick began to process the second body and Sara went back to snapping pictures. She was close enough to hear Nick softly humming a song that they ha heard on the radio earlier. Sara smiled; Nick's singing made it looking at a dead girl a little easier.

Two exhausting hours later, the three investigators headed to Nick's car. Nick turned on the radio but Greg stopped him.

"I believe I get to choose the music genre for this trip. 101.2, please." Nick reluctantly changed the station for Greg who had a very smug look on his face. Nick grimaced as a loud rock song filled the car.

"You are enjoying my pain aren't you Greggo?" Nick asked. Sara turned around in her seat to see Greg singing loudly and badly and wildly bobbing his head to the song. Sara missed Nick's nice voice.

"He's gone," commented Sara.

"At least not for the next forty minutes."

"Why would you let Greg choose the station?" Sara shouted over the music.

"I guess I'm just a nice guy." Nick flashed one of his classic smiles. Sara's heart melted.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thanks for reviewing and sorry about the spelling mistakes.

As they pulled into the lab's parking lot Nick shut off the radio.

"Thank goodness," breathed Sara who now had a throbbing headache.

"That may have been the best forty minutes!" exclaimed Greg.

"Shut up Greg. I think I speak for both of us when I say you have possibly the worst taste in music." Sara nodded. Greg looked hurt.

"Sara, I thought what we had was special. How could you betray me for _him_?" joked Greg. _You have no idea, _thought Sara.

"Whatever Greggo," said Nick as he went into the building with Sara close behind him.

In the locker room, Sara finally got to change into her t-shirt. Catherine came and sat down on the bench.

"How's your case Sara?"

"Confusing but right now I want to eat and then sleep so I can get rid of this headache that Greg's music gave me." Nick appeared at the door.

"Do you guys want to go grab some food?"

"Sure, how 'bout you Cath?"

"I have to drive Lindsey to school. See you guys later." Catherine left the locker room, leaving just Nick and Sara.

"Where do you want to go?"

"A place that serves more than breakfast meat."

"How 'bout Connie's Dinner?"

"Sure. I'll meet you there." Sara's heart pumped. '_Breakfast, alone with Nick. Date? No, it's just food with a co-worker, a very attractive co-worker with a nice singing voice." _

Ten minutes later, Sara found herself in a booth across from Nick who was busy looking at the menu. Sara was busy watching Nick. "_He has very nice eyes. Dark brown, like chocolate. I like chocolate. I like Nick's eyes too. Stop it!" _

A friendly waitress named Joanna came up to the table and asked them what they wanted. Nicked order eggs and bacon while Sara chose a fruit salad. Just as Joanna cleared their menus, Nick's phone rang.

"Sorry. It's AAA." Sara nodded and Nick answered," Hello? Yes, this is Nick Stokes…what? It can't be fixed? Yeah, okay. Bye."

"What's the matter?"

"My A/C is busted so it looks like I'll be living in the heat."

"You could stay at my place," blurted out Sara before she could stop herself.

"That's okay."

"I mean, it's not the Ritz but I have a guest room and A/C."

"Really? Are you sure?" Sara nodded, "that would be great actually, thanks."

On the inside, Sara was freaking out. _Why did I say that? You know you like Nick and you still invited him to stay at your apartment? He probably just thinks of you as a co-worker. _Their food came and the two enjoyed it. Sara thought that she should say something but Nick started the conversation before she could even think of something to say.

"So Sara, what kind of music do you like?"

"Um…I like most kinds, just not Greg's noise." Nick laughed.

"Noise. I like that. I'll have to tell you said that. It will break his little heart."

"Yeah, it probably will." As they finished their meals, Nick paid, and they each went to their cars.

As Sara drove to her apartment, she tried to think if it was clean. She rarely was there because she spent most of her time at work and when she was home, she mostly slept. The two walked in together and Nick saw that Sara was a relatively neat person. The apartment was smaller than Nick's house but it had two bedrooms.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, no I'm fine." Sara showed Nick around and then went in search of some Advil to sooth her headache.

"Nick, make yourself at home. I have a headache so I'm going to bed now. Goodnight." Sara hurried off to her room. '_Maybe I should have been more welcoming, but I am really tired and my headache is killing me. Oh well,"_ thought Sara as she got ready for bed. Even with air conditioning, Sara was still hot during the night.

In the morning, she woke up and went strait to the shower forgetting that Nick had slept over. When she came out of the shower, Sara smelled something cooking. Without thinking, she went into the kitchen. Nick was cooking breakfast and humming the lines of an old country song but stopped when he saw Sara standing a few feet away in a towel. '_Wow,'_ thought Nick.

"Sorry, I uh…didn't mean to interrupt," said Sara. Her face was beet red as she hurried back into her bedroom. '_Nick just saw me in a towel. How could I forget that he was here?'_ Sara quickly got dressed and headed back to the kitchen.

"How do you like your eggs?" Sara was relieved that there was no awkwardness between them.

"Scrambled."

"Really?" Nick seemed surprised by this.

"Yeah, why?"

"Never mind."

"What?" She really wanted to know what was on Nick's mind.

"It's just that you are so orderly and neat but you like your eggs scrambled. You don't seem like the scrambled kind of person, that's all."

"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me Nick Stokes," said Sara a little more suggestively than she meant. Luckily, Nick's phone rang. He answered.

"Stokes. Oh, when can it come? I need it as soon as possible. Four days! Okay, fine. Thanks, bye." Nick hung up his phone.

"Hey, Sar, would it be okay if I stayed here for a few more days? It's okay if I can't. I have no A/C and the heat isn't supposed to break until some time next week."

"Nick, it's fine."

"Thanks. Here are your eggs, scrambled just like you apparently." Nick smiled and Sara blushed. He sat down next to her and started reading the paper. After breakfast, they both headed to work but got no further on their case and soon enough, the shift was over.

"Sara, I'll meet you at your place. I have to go get some things from my house." Greg chose that time to appear in the locker room doorway.

"What is this I hear? Sara, explain yourself," he said, only half joking.

"Greg, relax. Nick's A/C just staying at my place till he can get his A/C fixed." Greg nodded and glared at Nick. Sara wasn't happy with her explanation of the situation either. She wished Nick could stay there longer and that he wasn't there because he _had _to but because he _wanted _to be there. Sara got in her car and drove home. She did some cleaning and then took a shower. She didn't hear Nick come in so she felt that she could sing in the shower without anyone listening to her. Fifteen minutes later she got out of the shower and into some clothes.

When she came out of the bathroom, Nick was in the kitchen cooking something, again. "What are you cooking?" Sara asked, hoping that Nick didn't hear her sing.

"Vegetable lasagna, just for you." Sara joined him at the counter and began to eat.

"Thanks, that was really sweet of you."

"By the way Sara, you have a very nice singing voice."

"You heard me!" Nick started laughing so Sara swatted his arm.

"I was being serious. You have a nice voice."

"Well thank you." Sara realized how close to Nick she was sitting. She could hear his steady breathing and could smell his indescribable scent that could only be Nick's. She looked up from her food towards Nick. Her eyes met his. Sara smiled slowly.

"Sara," Nick began," I don't know how you feel but I'm pretty sure that I have loved you since the day we met." Sara smiled wider. Nick leaned in to kiss her. A moment later when he sat back in his chair, Nick was smiling. And for the first time in a long time, Sara knew how he felt.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks again for the reviews! I'm trying to get as many chapters written and uploaded before school starts (i.e. tomorrow).

P.S. I don't own anything…sadly…if I did the finale would have been very different.

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When Nick got his a new air conditioner, Sara was sad to see him leave. She liked his company as well as his kisses. Sara knew she would miss coming home with someone else and not having to order out to eat. She would miss watching movies with Nick while being snuggled close to his body, but she was also nervous.

Sara had asked that they take things slow and not to tell anyone at work yet. Nick respected her wish, as expected, and showered her with secret kisses. She was worried that because Nick had left, their relationship would be over. Did Nick think of it as just a fling?

Nick was very attractive, there was no denying that. If he dumped Sara or just ignored her, he could have a new girlfriend in no time. Sara on the other hand, would need time to recover. She never let anyone into her life that she did not trust and it was hard for her to find that quality in a man so she was often alone. She had found that she was able to trust Nick and she did not want that to go away.

As she walked into the lab the Monday after Nick went back to his own house, Sara was tense. She did not know what to expect from Nick. Sara headed strait for the locker room. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say, or if she was going to say anything at all just yet. She would observe Nick to see how he felt about their relationship. Sara knew she was good at observing, that's why she was a CSI. Of course, her plan went down the drain as soon as she actually saw Nick.

"Hi." Instead of a 'hello' or 'good morning', Nick glanced around before placing a small, chaste kiss on Sara's lips. Sara was till confused. "Wait, Nick."

"What's the matter? Is there something bothering you?"

"Um, kind of," Sara paused," Nick, I just want to know if we were a fling or not. Was it a spur of the moment kind of thing or did you mean it?" Sara breathed. She was glad she had gotten it over with but she was afraid of his answer.

"Sara, I meant it. I meant it all. I would never try to hurt you like that." Sara smiled.

"Good. Otherwise I would have to make Warrick beat you up," she teased.

"Oh really?" Nick leaned in and kissed her. It was a small one, just for a second but it was just long enough for Greg to see it.

**A/N:** It's short, I know but it means that I will update quicker.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks again for reviewing! Enjoy

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A small squeak from Greg is what startled the couple as they separated. They both turned to see the young CSI standing in the doorway, holding a half eaten peach in one hand with his mouth slightly open. '_Why does Greg always interrupt good things?'_ thought Sara.

"Greg-"began Nick.

"You and _you_?" Greg seemed to be recovering from his shock. He even took the long awaited bite from the peach in his hand. He smiled slowly, revealing his pearly whites. Both Nick and Sara thought he was going to say something but Greg stood there, grinning like a fool.

"Greg," continued Nick," what you saw was well…" he trailed off and looked to Sara for help."

"Us, what you saw was us." Sara supplied. Greg snapped out of his daze at this.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Greg, who promptly took off down the hall. Nick chased after him, while Sara sat down on the bench.

Now that someone had discovered "them", it seem more real. Sara suddenly felt very lighthearted and happy. '_No doubt Greg will tell everyone,'_ thought Sara,_' but why should that matter? Would anything really change?' _

Just then Nick came back with Greg by his collar who was begging for mercy. It was quite funny to see Greg wriggling, trying to get free and Nick just standing there as if nothing was happening. "Nick, let him go." He released Greg who ran over to Sara.

"Thanks Sar. I always knew you had a soft spot for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go tell someone before I burst." Nick blocked the doorway.

"Hold up there Greg. You can't tell anyone yet."

"Why?" whined Greg who then turned to Sara for help.

"Go ahead," said Sara softly.

"What?" said the two males in unison.

"She must like me better," boasted Greg. Nick chose to ignore his comment and went over to where Sara was sitting.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Greg, you could go yell that we are together and I wouldn't mind one bit."

And then he did.

"I didn't think he would actually do," said Sara who was smiling.

"Well, with Greg, there's no telling what he wont do."

Just then Grissom walked by. He stopped, looking mildly confused and surprised. Then he saw Nick and Sara holding hands. Grissom just nodded, like all of his questions had been answered and said, "Shift starts in two minutes. Greg's working on another case." Then he went back to reading a file and continued walking.

"Typical," breathed Sara.

They bother got up and headed to a work room. Sara started looking over the photos, while Nick went to get the DNA results. "Hey Mia."

"Hey, heard about you and Sara."

"How could you not? Did you get the results yet?"

"I get something a little different." Mia went over to the printer to get some papers. "The dead girl, Mila, is not the daughter of John Wilcox but Mrs. Wilcox is her mother."

"That could have been Mr. Wilcox's motive," replied Nick who was busy looking over the charts Mia had given him.

"But get this, Nick, even though John and Mila aren't father-daughter, they are related. I'm thinking Mrs. Wilcox had an affair with another Mr. Wilcox."

"So he has a brother?" asked Nick.

"That's for you to find out."

"Thanks Mia," said Nick as he headed back to where Sara was.

He stopped outside the room and looked through the open doorway. Sara was closely examining the photos she had taken. Her hair was falling forward, covering her face but she saw Nick and looked up, smiling. _'She has the most beautiful smile," _thought Nick.

"What's up?"

"Just seeing how beautiful you are."

"The case?" asked Sara.

"Oh, John Wilcox is not Mila's father but they are related," Nick headed to the computer. He searched for another Wilcox through all of the databases. Ten minutes later he got a hit, "Steven Wilcox. Arrested in '98 for A&B, has two brothers, Todd and our suspect John," read Nick.

"Nick, did we get any DNA evidence of the other guy who pushed the neighbor in the bush?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"I have a hunch." Sara rushed out of the room and headed back to DNA. Nick was close behind her. "Hey Mia, did we give you any DNA evidence that didn't match the Vics or the husband?"

"No, sorry." Sara was disappointed.

"Want to clue me in?" asked Nick as they walked back to the workroom.

"I thought that the other guy, who we couldn't identify, might have been Mila's father and Mr. Wilcox's brother. If there was DNA evidence, we could tie him to the scene," explained Sara.

"We could still look into it, where do they live?" Sara looked at the computer screen for the answer.

"One lives in town, off the strip but the other, Steven lives in the middle of no where."

"Rock, paper, scissors?" offered Nick. Sara nodded and lost. "See you later. Do you want to meet at my place after for some food?"

"Sure." Sara was glad that she had something to look forward to after shift besides and empty apartment.

They headed in different directions, in different cars but they both listened to the same radio station, and this time, they both sang along.

A/N: Please review! I don't mind constructive criticism.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks so much for reviewing, again! I changed the rating just for this chapter because there is some violence. Enjoy!

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Sara drove for three hours to get to the suspect's house. She had told Brass that she would probably need an officer to follow her, just in case. He said he would get right on it, but Sara had noticed that no one had been following her for the past twenty miles. All the way to the scene, Sara had sung along to country songs while thinking about Nick.

When she pulled up to the house, she waited in her car for ten minutes. Sara couldn't see anyone coming and tried calling Brass but there was no cell phone service. _'I really am in the middle of no where. Oh well, there's no use just sitting here.'_ She decided to ring the doorbell.

Upon getting out of the car, her nose was hit with the foul smell of decaying body and her body was hit with a wave of the summer heat. _"Where is that smell coming from?'_ Then she saw a dog lying in the front yard, among the scraps of metal. It had numerous stab wounds and flies were buzzing all around it. Sara pulled out her gun as she saw the wounds. As she approached the front door, she got a good look at the house.

It was very old and the white paint was chipping in almost all spots. Some of the windows were broken and the porch sagged and creaked when she stepped on it. Sara pushed the doorbell, or where it should have been; it had been shot at and now there was a nice hole in the wall. She knocked instead. No one answered. Sara pushed open the door and called out, "Hello? Mr. Wilcox? Anyone home?"

She gingerly stepped inside the rundown house. The inside was not much better than the outside. The stairs leading up to the second floor were missing a few steps and clutter was everywhere. Through an open doorway to the right, Sara could see a living room. A pink couched had been slashed down the middle and stuffing was falling out. Beer cans were everywhere and there was rotting food on plates next to the couch. The hair on the back of Sara's neck stood on end. She called out again, "Mr. Wilcox?"

This time, she heard someone move on the second floor above her. A moment later, a man came tripping down the stairs. Sara jumped but held her gun in position when the man stood up, holding a knife with dried blood on it. '_Probably the murder weapon,'_ thought Sara. The man had greasy brown hair, dirty clothes with beer stains, and looked like he hadn't shaved in about two weeks. "Mr. Wilcox?" I'm Sara Sidle from the Las Vegas crime lab. I just need to ask you a few –". Mr. Wilcox lunged at Sara but she avoided his attack.

"Get out of my house you filthy cop!" yelled Mr. Wilcox as he chased Sara into the living room. She fired a round but missed due to her shaking hands.

"I'm not a cop Mr. Wilcox!" The man seemed to calm down. He had stopped chasing her and had lowered his weapon. Sara did the same. "I'm a crime scene investigator. I just need to ask you a few questions about your brother, John Wilcox." Steven Wilcox lunged at her and Sara was not expecting it and could not avoid the sharp blade.

A wave of pain filled Sara's body as she fell to the ground. She could see blood trickling out of her vest and forming a pool next to her. Her breathing became labored. "Stay away from Johnny!" Mr. Wilcox grabbed her gun and fled. She heard a car start outside and peel out. Sara couldn't sit up, the pain was too much. She tried recollecting all the events so that she could tell the cop when he got to the house. '_Where is the cop? I told Brass. He should have been here by now.' _Then she thought of Nick,_ 'I guess I won't be able to get to his house after work Oh, Nick.' _Sara started feeling lightheaded and then everything was black.

A/N: Please review! I don't mind constructive criticism.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for reviewing especially **nicky'sbabygirl. **

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Nick had already showered and had water boiling for pasta dinner but Sara still wasn't home. _'Where is she? Maybe there was a traffic jam on the strip,'_ thought Nick who was trying not to worry. The phone rang. It was Brass.

"Nick, Sara's been hurt. She's at Desert Palms –". Nick didn't even wait to hear the rest. He grabbed his keys and sped to the hospital. He got lost twice and was so unfocused that he should not have been driving. All the worst possible scenarios were spinning through his head as he pulled into the hospital parking lot and parked in the closest spot.

"Sir! You can't park there! Sir!" called out the guard. Nick didn't want to waste any time.

"Here! You park it!" Nick chucked his keys to the stunned guard and ran into the hospital. He headed strait for the ER's main desk. A tired looking woman asked him what he needed. "Uh…can you tell me which room Sara Sidle is in?"

"Let me check." The woman turned back to her computer. "I'm sorry sir; Miss Sidle has just gone into surgery."

"Can I see her?" asked Nick.

"If you don't mind waiting five hours." Nick became angry and punched at the hard desk. He cursed himself for not getting there sooner, for not being about to hold Sara's hand. "Sir, I suggest you take a seat but if you really want to see her, there is an observation room above the OR that is down the hall and to the right." Nick took off. He had to see Sara.

Nick found the viewing room. The doctors were just beginning. He could only see Sara's pale face and her abdomen which has a visibly bleeding stab wound; everything else was covered by a blue cloth. The doctor's began to open her up. Nick couldn't watch and threw up in the nearest trash can. He wandered back to the waiting room and sat down. _"How could this be happening? I should have gone out there instead of Sara. Sara, I love you so much. I don't know what I'll do if you don't make it out,' _thought Nick who was now overcome with guilt.

Four hours passed, but for Nick it seemed like an eternity. Greg and Catherine came by on their way back from a crime scene. Catherine's eyes were watery as she hugger Nick. Greg was in a trance and looked like he had seen a ghost. Catherine tried to comfort Nick, telling him that Sara was strong, that she would make it out while Greg stared at a blank wall.

Then a doctor came over. "I'm Dr. Marsh, are you Miss Sidle's family?" All three shook their head. The doctor smiled politely and turned around. Nick got up and followed Dr. Marsh.

"Doc, please, is she okay? I'm her boyfriend, I'm the closest thing she has to family," said Nick, remembering Sara's tragic past.

"I'm sorry sir, but the hospital has a policy—"

"Well, then…I'm investigating Sara Sidle's attacker and I need to know what happened." Nick pulled out his CSI badge. Dr. Marsh huffed for a moment before giving in.

"Miss Sidle came in with a severe stab wound to the abdomen and lost almost half of her blood before arriving here. She was rushed into surgery and is being sewn up about now."

"So she's going to be okay," breathed Nick.

"Sir—"

"Nick Stokes but call me Nick."

"Nick, we have a few questions. A police officer, O'Malley, was his name brought her in but didn't know who stabbed her. We have to put it in our records who stab her, if the information is available.'

"Steven Wilcox. He's the man who stabbed Sara," said Nick through clenched teeth. He headed back to the waiting room. By then, Warrick, Grissom, and Brass had joined the other two. They all looked at Nick for an answer. He nodded and everyone's faces changed from somber to relieved.

"Where is she?" asked Greg who was still pale.

"The doctor's are still finishing up in the OR but then she'll go to ICU for a few nights," replied Nick.

"I got every cop in Vegas looking for that guy," said Brass, hoping that it would cheer Nick up but Nick just nodded.

Soon enough, everyone left for their shift but Nick who was given a couple days off. Dr. Marsh came over to tell Nick that he could go in and see Sara, though she was still asleep. Nick stood up and exhaled. Room 108's door was just in front of Nick but he paused a moment before opening to see the person he loved the most in a horrible situation.

A/N: Review! Please! (If you do, I will update faster)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks again for those who reviewed! I updated faster because I didn't have soccer one night and it gave me time to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…sadly and I don't own the song either.

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Sara opened her eyes. Her entire body surged with pain. She closed her eyes again, hoping to fall asleep but she wasn't tired. Also, the searing pain in her rib cage made it impossible to get comfortable. _'Where am I? What's wrong with me?'_ thought Sara as she opened her eyes again.

She was in a small, clean room and lying in a bed. On a table at the end of the bed were flowers, cards, and a balloon. She noticed Nick, who was asleep in a chair next to her. He looked so peaceful but she noticed that his clothes were wrinkled and he had the beginning of stubble._ 'I must have been here at least overnight. Why am I in a hospital?'_ Then it all came back. She was at Steven Wilcox's house and he had been chasing her and then he stabbed her. Sara immediately moved her hand to where her wound would have been. It was now stitched up and covered by gauze. She instantly regretted touching the wound and let out a moan of pain, waking Nick.

He jumped out of the chair and rushed over to her. "Sara, honey, what's wrong?" She could see the scared look in Nick's eye. It made her sad to see Nick, who was usually very brave, suddenly looked so scared. All she could do was cry. Nick yelled for a nurse and a heavyset woman with blond hair rushed in and checked Sara's monitor. She pushed a few buttons and told Nick that Sara would be fine.

Nick leaned over, gently kissing Sara's forehead and wiped away her tears. When he stepped back, a tear slid down his cheek and he whispered," I love you." It pained Sara to see Nick that upset.

"I love you too," choked Sara. It hurt to speak and Nick could see that so he 'shhed' her. He sat back down and turned on the television, hoping to take Sara's mind off her pain.

At about ten, Nick fell asleep. Sara shut off the TV, not wanting to wake Nick. She just lay in the semi-darkness of the room, trying to fall asleep. With her eyes closed, Sara tried counted sheep but it did not prevail so she turned on a small table lamp to read the newspaper.

Nick woke up. His back ached and his neck was cramped. He noticed that Sara was still awake and checked his watch; 1:13 am. "Sara, you need to sleep."

"I can't. It hurts too much." Nick's heart ached when he heard this because he knew he couldn't do stop it.

"Do you want me to get a nurse?"

"No," she paused," Nick, can you sing to me?" He nodded and cleared his throat.

_Every now and then I get a little lost_

_My strings get all tangled, my wires get all crossed_

_Every now and then I'm right up on the ledge _

_I just thank God you're here_

'_Cause when I'm a bullet shot out of a gun_

'_Cause when I'm a firecracker comin' undone_

_Or when I'm a fugitive ready to run, all wild-eyed and crazy_

_No matter where my reckless soul takes me _

_Baby, you save me…_Sara smiled. She was content never to hear again as long as she could hear Nick's voice. She loved his strong, steady voice. It made her feel safe and loved.

Nick had only gotten to the second verse when he noticed that Sara was already asleep. He kissed her on the forehead and wrote her a note before leaving quietly.

_Sara, _

_ I just went home to shower and sleep. I'll be back tomorrow _

_at eleven to pick you up. _

_Love, Nick _

A/N: I know some of the parts of the song don't really fit Nick but I liked the last line. Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. This one's short but it's setting up the next few. Enjoy!

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When Sara woke up, she was alone in the dreary hospital room. She saw the note and read it before checking the clock. It was a little after nine. Sara noticed that her abdomen felt much better. She could even stand up. A nurse helped her to the bathroom and Sara took a shower.

She headed back to the room and began to read her cards. She got one from Warrick, one from Sofia, and one from Catherine and Lindsey that came with a balloon. Grissom had sent her a rare dead butterfly that was delicately placed behind a sheet of glass in a picture frame. Greg had written a long letter, complete with a drawing, that made her laugh, which in turn made her cry because the stitches still hurt. Brass had sent her a big teddy bear. Even Ecklie sent a vase of flowers from the lab that Hodges signed.

"Mornin' Sar, ready to go?" Nick was at the door. He looked well rested and the stubble was gone. Sara nodded and thanked her nurse before being helped out by Nick. Sara was glad to be outside; the hospital had been quite stuffy inside. "Do you want to go get some lunch?"

"Yeah, hospital food is as bad as everyone says." Nick laughed and helped Sara into the car. They drove to a small café for lunch. Sara found herself looking at Nick's chocolate brown eyes once again, this time without the fear of being caught. He looked up.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"You have the most gorgeous eyes. They're dark brown; the exact shade of chocolate." Nick began batting his eyes like a flirtatious school girl. They both cracked up but their laughter ended when Sara winced in pain. A concerned look spread over Nick's face.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm fine Nick, honest. Can we go somewhere?" Nick looked confused.

"Well, after I pay, I was going to drive you home but if you rather come to my –"

"No, someplace like New York or far away." Nick started chuckling but stopped when he saw that Sara had been serious.

"Sar, we can't go right this minute. I mean, I'd love to but you're injured." Sara looked disappointed so Nick added," When you get better, I promise we can go someplace, okay?" She nodded," but for now, let's get you home before I go to work."

Nick drove Sara home and set up on the couch, armed with two books and the TV, before leaving for work.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I was a little disappointed; only one review. Maybe I'll wait longer in between posts so I can get more reviews…

Three months had past, Sara's wound had healed but the memories were still vivid in her mind and the scar on her abdomen still scared her every time she saw it. The fact that Steven Wilcox hadn't been caught yet didn't help either. Sara would still look over her shoulder every time she was alone and would check the locks on her doors twice.

Two weeks after being stabbed, John Wilcox's body was found in a shallow grave, not far from his brother's house. When Grissom told her this, shivers went down her spine. _'It could have been me,' _thought Sara,_ 'It could have been my grave.' _Nick was always there to comfort her and she felt safe whenever he was around.

In the past weeks, they had grown closer than ever. They understood each other; he would comfort her and she would help Nick. Sara loved every second she spent with Nick and she couldn't explain it, but she loved him more every time she saw him.

One Friday morning, Sara woke up at Nick's place but Nick wasn't lying next to her. The sheets were only a slightly warm. _'I guess he got up early.' _She got up and headed to the bathroom. On her way there, Sara passed the answering machine. The small red light was blinking. She pressed the button and Nick's voice began to talk.

"_Mornin' Sara. I just went into work early to get ahead on my paperwork. After work, let's meet at your place. Love you. Bye." _Sara deleted the message and continued to the bathroom.

While washing her hair, she thought over what Nick had said. _'Why would he want to meet at my place? It's practically empty; most of my stuff is at his house anyway.' _Sara had moved most of her things into Nick's house. She liked it better than her own apartment because it felt more like home and Nick was usually there. It was also closer to work.

Sara stepped out of the shower and tried off before getting dressed. Then she wiped the moisture off of the mirror so she could see herself. She looked happier in the reflection then she remembered seeing last time she checked. Her eyes were brighter and Sara smiled more. Nick always had a good effect on her.

As she was eating her breakfast, Sara noticed a single red rose on the counter with a small, white card attached to it. She picked it up and smelled the rose. It was so fragrant and beautiful. On the card were three little words in Nick's hand writing. Sara smiled and thought of Nick. _'He's always so thoughtful. How did he fall in love with me?' _thought Sara.

She pulled out of the driveway and turned on the radio. Kenny Chesney's You Save Me. It reminded her of the night that Nick sang her to sleep in the hospital. She drove for another twenty minutes before pulling into the lab's parking lot. "Hey Sara!" said an excited Greg.

"Hi, Greg, where are you going?"

"DB in Henderson with Nick," he paused and then changed his expression to a very sly look.

"What?" asked Sara who was now a little annoyed with him.

"I know something you don't know," taunted Greg.

'Whatever," muttered Sara as she hurried off into the lab. She rounded a corner and ran into Nick. He pulled her into a hug and then gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Ahh, brings me back…" Nick and Sara turned around to see Greg standing a few feet away, tying his shoelace. He finished tying and stood up," …brings me back to when I first caught you two," he paused," canoodling." He smirked.

"Canoodling? Greg, I don't think that's even a word," stated Nick.

"My grandmother used to say it." Nick and Sara began to chuckle but were interrupted by Grissom.

"Nick, Greg you have to get going. Sara, it's a slow night, so you'll be joining Catherine and Warrick and catch up on your paper work. Grissom hurried back to his office. Sara sighed; she knew it was going to be a long shift. She loathed paper work. It was tedious and boring. Nick gave her a quick peck again.

"You got my message, right?" Sara nodded and watched him walk out the door before dragging herself to the cramped work room where Warrick and Catherine were already working.

Foe six hours, the three sat in the same room doing paperwork. Sara was ready to explode. She looked up. The small room was lit by an ugly ceiling lamp and had no windows. Paper was everywhere. Warrick was slumped back in his chair, his eyes barely open while Catherine sat hunched over, probably from a neck cramp. At four in the morning, Sara headed home.

Nick was already there. He was sitting on the couch with a suitcase next to him. He stood up and kissed her when Sara came in. She opened her eyes. Two plane tickets to Paris filled her field of vision. "What are these?" She took the tickets to examine them closer. Nick was smiling. "Nick, these planes tickets are for today. Actually, in four hours!" She looked to him for an explanation.

"You said you wanted to go somewhere." Sara hugged him.

"I said that when I was in the hospital, like three months ago."

"I guess I have a good memory. Now, come on; you need to pack if we're going to get on that plane in four hours!" Sara kissed him.

"What about work?"

"Why do you think I went in early today?" Sara hurried off to pack but turned around.

"Did you tell Greg by any chance?" Nick laughed.

"He over heard me talking to Grissom, why?" Sara smiled to herself.

"No reason." She turned back around and began to pack for her week long vacation in Paris with Nick.

A/N: Please review! It doesn't even have to be a long review.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Impressive; six reviews for one chapter! Thanks, again for reviewing. I will try to post two chapters this week-end because I waited so long in between the last post.

P.S. What's up with John Mayer having more screen time than Greg?

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The plane was just beginning to take off. Sara couldn't stop smiling, she was so excited. Nick, on the other hand, certainly was not smiling. He had forgotten how much he disliked flying. "Nick, are you okay?" He nodded. "Nick, your knuckles are turning white, you're not okay." He took a deep breath.

"I just don't like flying. I like my feet firmly on the ground." _'That's very typical of Nick; to be so grounded,' _thought Sara.

"Try…try to relax. Think of something relaxing."

Nick closed his eyes. He imagined himself back in Texas, riding his horse, Sally. Then he noticed that Sara was riding next to him on a beautiful, black mare. Nick opened his eyes and released his grip on the arm rest. He looked at Sara.

"Thanks, that really helped."

"Anytime," replied Sara who went back to reading her magazine. Nick put on the headphones next to him and began watching the on-flight movie.

When the movie was over, Nick tried to get some sleep. He fell asleep on Sara's shoulder but she didn't mind. By this time, Sara had moved on to reading her book. Nick's rhythmic breathing gave the book a beat. Plus, with him so close, Sara could smell him and not the musty, dry-air smell of the plane.

A few hours later, the plane landed in France. The couple found their luggage without trouble but the cab to their hotel was another story. Neither spoke French. Finally, Nick gave the map to the driver and about forty minutes later, they arrived at a small inn in central Paris. It was a small, blue three story building wedged in between a coffee shop and a bakery.

"Bonjour! Comment tu t'appelles, monsieur?" asked the elderly man at the front desk. Sara whipped out the phrase book.

"J'appelle Nicolas Stokes et Sara Sidle." The man understood and led them to room number sixteen. It was the only room on the third floor of the inn and had a lovely view of the city. As soon as the man went back downstairs, both collapsed on the neatly made bed.

At four o'clock, Sara woke up. At first she didn't know where she was. It scared her but when she saw Nick lying next to her, it terrified her. _'I am in Paris. I'm in Paris with Nick Stokes. What does this mean? I've never traveled anywhere with any of my other boyfriends, not that I've had a whole lot,' _thought Sara. All of it scared her out of her mind. She had never been this far in a relationship. She didn't have a plan and she liked having plans. Sara wrote Nick a note telling him she went for a walk before leaving.

First, Sara walked down the street that the inn was on but headed to a small park near by. She sat on a bench and watched people walking by. It didn't help and an hour later, Sara realized she was hungry. She headed to a café on the other side of the park and grabbed a scone. "Salut! C'est trois euros," said the clerk as she rummaged through her purse. Sara found the money and smiled politely at the clerk. But the smile didn't last long because standing on the other side of the counter was Steven Wilcox.

A/N: Cliff hanger! Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

Sara's heart stopped. Her blood turned to ice. She wanted to move, to scream, to do something but she couldn't. All she could do was stare at the half smiling face of her attacker. He didn't recognize her. Steven Wilcox just smiled again and repeated the cost, hoping to hurry Sara up, "C'est trois euros." Sara heard what he said and it brought chills to her body. It was the same voice that screamed, _"Get out of my house you filthy cop!"_

Sara dropped the scone and ran out of the café back towards the park. As soon as she was behind a bush, she threw up three times. She was hyperventilating and sweating now. Sara took deep breathes to return her pulse to a normal rate. Even though she was sweating, she shivered. Sara wiped her mouth and looked around for the way back to the inn. She began to sprint back to the inn, back to Nick, back to safety.

The people casually strolling through the park became a blur as she ran with tears now streaming down her face. The cool air of the night felt good. Sara found the hotel and burst in, climbing the stairs two at a time. The man at the front desk called out to her but she ignored him.

Sara struggled with the key for a moment before crashing into the room and collapsing on the ground. Nick came out of the bathroom to see what the commotion was. He found Sara lying on the ground, shaking and crying. He rushed over and picked her up in his arms. Sara grabbed on to him like it was the end of the world. She didn't say anything when Nick asked what was wrong. Sara buried her head into his shirt. Nick rocked her and hummed softly into her ear.

When Sara had calmed down a bit, Nick set her down on the bed. "Sara, honey, what's the matter? Did someone hurt you?" Sara eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"I…I saw him, Steven Wilcox," choked Sara. Nick eyes widened in shock. "He was at the…the café." Nick wiped away Sara's tears and pulled her into an embrace. Nick was comforting Sara but inside his was filled with rage. _'How could he be here? How did he get out of the country? Poor, Sara. She was so scared,' _thought Nick.

By this time, Sara had stopped crying. She was lying down underneath the covers of the bed. Nick was pacing around the room trying to think of how Steven Wilcox had gotten there. "Nick, you're pacing." He looked up at Sara.

"Sorry, can I get you anything?" She shook her head. "Do you think you'll be okay by yourself for a little while?" Sara nodded. Nick handed her book to Sara and gave her a long kiss before shutting the door.

Before leaving, Nick asked the man at the desk to check on Sara. It took him a while because he had to look through the phrase book but the man understood by the end and smiled politely as Nick left. He hurried outside. Nick looked up and down the street. He could see couples casually dining outside the restaurant down the street and other folks strolling down the street. At the end of the street, Nick took a left and waited for the bus. Two stops later, Nick got off the bus in front of the police station.

When he first entered the station, Nick was asked to sign in. then he spent ten minutes waiting to talk to someone. As he sat on the bench, Nick collected his thoughts and looked around. Police men and women were bustling around the station while some answered phones or filed paperwork. Finally, a middle aged man with slicked back black hair told Nick to follow him into a small office.

"What can I do for you?" said the man in perfect English. Nick was surprised but glad that he wouldn't have to use the phrase book.

"Well, I'm Nick Stokes. I am a crime scene investigator in the U.S. I'm on vacation with my girlfriend, Sara, who is also a CSI. A few months ago, she was attacked by a man named Steven Wilcox, while investigating him. Today, she went out for a walk and came back crying and shaking. She said that she saw her attacker working in store not far from here. Mr. Wilcox is a wanted man in the U.S. on several charges, so I wanted him to be arrested." The cop took all the information in and paused a moment before replying.

"Mr. Stokes, this is highly unusual."

"Yes, I know but this man is very dangerous; he killed three people and attempted murder for one. You must understand."

"Where was it you said he worked?"

"At the small café on the east side of the Vert Parc." The officer nodded.

"I believe that the café is going to close in about thirty minutes so I better hurry."

"I'm coming." The officer shook his head.

"Civilians aren't allowed-" Nick cut him off.

"I'm a CSI and I am qualified to carry a gun." The officer seemed to give in but warned Nick to be careful as they got into the car and sped away from the station. It began to rain on the short drive to the café. The cop told Nick his name was François and he was born in France but grew up in New York.

The patrol car pulled up to the café. Not many people were in the store but Nick saw Steven Wilcox behind the counter. A chill went through Nick's body but he shook it off. "Steven Wilcox?" asked François. The man looked puzzled but then took off out the store. Both men chased after him into the dark. Nick was faster than François. He chased to criminal through the streets around the park.

Then Wilcox ran into a dead end alley. Just like the movies, he tried to climb the fence but Nick was too fast. He grabbed the criminal and threw him on the wet ground. "I didn't…I didn't do anything. I swear!" With his gun pointed at the man, Nick shook his head.

"Wrong answer; you're speaking English. You're a wanted man in the U.S. You killed three and stabbed a good friend of mine, or don't you remember that?" By that time François had caught up with Nick.

"Nick, put your gun down!" Nick didn't move. "Mr. Stokes!" Nick lowered his gun and took his foot off of Steven Wilcox's chest. François grabbed Wilcox and put handcuffs on his wrists. He led Wilcox back to the patrol car. Nick followed but stopped when they got in the car. "Mr. Stokes, are you coming?" Nick shook his head. He opened the door of the car and began to speak to Steven Wilcox.

"By the way, the woman you stabbed really was a cop." He slammed the door shut and watched it pull away.

Nick took a deep breath and began to walk back to the inn. He didn't mind that it was pouring outside or that all of his clothes were soaked. His watch read ten o'clock. He thought of Sara, all alone. Nick ran through the park back to the inn. The sky was momentarily lit up by lightning and then a loud clap of thunder followed. Nick ran faster; he needed to see Sara.

Sara was sitting outside on the porch. The man at the desk, Monsieur Le Blanc had come to check on her and told her that she would get sick if she did not get out of the rain. She didn't care. Sara was drenched but she wanted to see Nick and know that he was safe. Then she saw him, running up the street soaking wet. Sara left her spot and ran downstairs to meet him. Out on the street, they ran into each other's arms and fell into a passionate kiss. When they broke apart Sara was crying but said," Is he gone?" Nick nodded and they kissed again. Nick took a step back, looking at Sara.

"Will you marry me?"

A/N: Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Honestly, I am really sorry I didn't update sooner but I have been sick and swamped with homework. Enjoy!

It was hard for Sara to wait a minute before she could reply but Nick was still talking. "Sara, listen, I've really thought about this and I want you to think about it too. I don't want to pressure you and I was going to think of a better time to ask you but tonight when I was chasing that guy I couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted to catch him and how much I wanted to stop every other person from hurting you and then I knew…" Nick stopped a minute to breath. Sara could see that even though he was babbling, Nick really meant it.

"Yes." Nick looked up, a little confused.

"What?"

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you." A smile spread across Nick's face and Sara knew she felt the same way as he did. He pulled her in and they kissed. A moment later when they separated, both were still smiling.

"So what do we do now?" asked Sara.

"I guess we better go inside." Sara began to walk towards the door but then she was lifted up by Nick and carried in and up the stairs. Monsieur LeBlanc just stood behind the desk, half-smiling and shaking his head in confusion. When they reached the third floor and Nick had unlocked the door with one hand, he gently placed Sara in a chair.

"Not that I minded, but what was that about?" Nick smiled.

"Oh, I was just practicing." Sara got up and kissed Nick. "What would you like to do for the rest of our vacation?"

"Anything with you."

A/N: It is short I know. I'm not sure if I should continue with the story or if I should just end it here. Please give some advice.


	13. Epilogue

A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I've decided not to continue but end with an epilogue so that all the loose ends are tied up.

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The rest of their trip was uneventful, although both Nick and Sara talked to officials and learned how Steven Wilcox had found his way to France. One of Mr. Wilcox's old high school buddies (with whom he committed a few robberies with) was a flight attendant Wilcox bribed his way onto a flight. France was chosen because Wilcox had taken French in high school, so he could speak enough to get a job. Steven Wilcox was taken back to the U.S. where he was tried and convicted.

Upon their return to the States, Nick and Sara announced their engagement. Sometime in spring of that year, they were married in Nick's backyard at is parent house in Texas. They continued to work in Las Vegas and solve crimes.

The End

A/N: I know, bad ending but I didn't really know how to end it.


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